The idea sounds wild on its face, but that’s exactly why it’s getting traction: should the Browns chase Justin Herbert?
Cleveland’s 5-2 start has turned Year 1 under Todd Monken into one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 NFL season. The Browns are sitting atop the AFC North, and a Week 8 win would make the leap from “surprise” to legitimate playoff conversation even harder to ignore. Still, the quarterback picture remains messy enough to keep the speculation alive.
Deshaun Watson has delivered late-game flashes of the old version of himself, especially in come-from-behind wins, but the Browns haven’t gotten steady play at quarterback everywhere else. With Watson heading into free agency after the season, the long-term outlook at the position is still very much in question.
That’s why the Herbert conversation is out there at all. And Browns fans are not lined up on one side of it. They’re split almost right down the middle.
There are plenty of reasons the Chargers quarterback has become part of the discussion. Herbert is in the midst of a rough statistical season: a 59% completion percentage, five touchdowns, eight interceptions, a career-worst yards per attempt, and significantly worse adjusted yards gained per pass attempt than he’s posted before.
His passer rating is 68.8, his QBR is 29.3, and both are by far the worst of his career. Add in the fact that the Chargers are 0-6, and it’s at least understandable that people are wondering whether Los Angeles could be willing to consider moving him.
Even so, the reaction from Cleveland has not been universally welcoming.
One reader, dawngregry, laid out the contract angle and past QB trade packages in detail. Herbert is 28 years old and has four years left on his deal worth $24M, $36M, $52M, $50.5M plus a no trade clause. The comparison points that followed were significant: Matthew Stafford cost the Rams Jared Goff, two firsts and a third; Russell Wilson brought Seattle two firsts, two seconds, a fifth and three players; and Deshaun Watson cost the Browns three firsts, a third and two fourths.
That same reader also noted Herbert’s uneven 2026 production while pointing out his history as a very good to outstanding regular season quarterback. The playoff résumé, though, is thin: he has zero post season wins in three appearances.
Cody Tapp, host of “Cody & Gold” on “96.5 The Fan,” put a sharper number on what the market might look like now. “Before this season I think a team would have offered three first-round picks. Best guess now is it is a first and an added 2nd or 3rd.”
Spidey raised another big question in the mix: would the Browns be hesitant to dive into another major quarterback trade after the Watson deal did not work out?
For now, the most realistic answer seems to be no. A Herbert trade looks highly unlikely for several reasons, including the no-trade clause.
Cleveland also appears set to approach the trade deadline with a winning record at worst, and maybe a comfortable hold on the AFC North. If Herbert ever does change teams, the earliest plausible window would likely be the 2027 offseason, when the Chargers could sort out their future.
Until then, Browns fans are nearly dead even on the question of whether to make the move. The poll is still open, so that split could shift before the conversation settles.
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For the Browns, the question is less about whether Sanders has value and more about whether they want to give up on a developmental arm this soon. Cleveland does have Watson entrenched as the starter, but any interest from a rebuilding Colts side could force the Browns to weigh immediate roster flexibility against the long-term upside Sanders still represents. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Ground Game Faces Its Real Test Against Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh is waiting next, and that is where Cleveland will find out whether the turnaround was real or just a one-week spike. The Steelers bring a top-ranked run defense into the matchup, which means the Browns will have to prove they can keep leaning on Judkins and the ground game against a front built to shut it down. [Read more 🡒]